1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid control apparatus and, more particularly, to a fluid control apparatus which is operable to transfer fluids along discrete paths of travel among a plurality of sources of and receptacles for fluid pursuant to a preconceived sequence of steps for a multiplicity of predetermined operational objectives.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A multitude of environments exist within which it is necessary or desirable sequentially to direct one or more fluids along discrete paths of travel to accomplish specific operational objectives. In many such environments, it is both necessary and desirable to perform these operations in such a fashion that the fluids are isolated from human contact. Still further, these operations must typically be performed rapidly, but with a precision guaranteeing that all of the operational objectives are achieved in a fully sanitary environment.
There are a variety of medical procedures which require that these criteria be met. For example, it is common to employ gastric irrigations, bladder irrigations, and the like for the therapeutic treatment of injured or diseased tissues. For such procedures, any of a wide variety of therapeutic solutions are directed into the affected organ, in some cases allowed to remain for a prescribed period of time and removed therefrom for collection in a container for subsequent examination and/or disposal. It has, heretofore, been exceedingly difficult to perform these procedures dependably, expeditiously and without the risk of contamination of the patient, medical personnel or the environment. Furthermore, since prior art equipment employed for the purpose is typically clumsy, difficult to operate and thereby frustrating to use, such prior art devices are frequently improperly operated creating a risk of injury to the patient, in effective administration of the treatment, contamination and the like.
While there have in the past been attempts to develop a fluid control device which was fully capable of performing all of the criteria required of such procedures without the myriad of problems heretofore associated therewith, insofar as the applicant is aware, all such prior art attempts have failed to produce the desired results.
Therefore, it has long been known that it would be desirable to have a fluid control apparatus which is selectively operable to direct one or more fluids along predetermined discrete paths of travel among selected sources of, and receptacles for, such fluid in a predetermined sequence of steps, which is capable of performing the sequence of steps in any sequence prescribed therefor, which is operable to perform such operations expeditiously and dependably without risk of inadvertent operation and which performs these functions without risk of contamination to those involved in the operation or to the environment.